Reviewing DS Softwares for Learning Japanese.

[test84]

Hi,
In this topic along side with my other two Japanese related topics called:
i'm learning japanese, sharing what i'm learning!,best way to learn Japanese and the last one which is about Japan itself: Questions about living in Japan. I decided to review softwares/homebrews/commercials which are available for DS to help us learn mainly Kanji since learning Hiragana and Katakana is not that hard but we also cover that.

If i found a very good program/game which is not for DS but is good enough, i'll post it here too.

I'll try my best to keep this topic as good as possible and keep up quality of stuff typed here as I like to see in other sites.

And if you want, you can help by Introducing new homebrews/commercials that are not covered before or let us know about new versions of existing ones. Please keep this in mind that main goal of this topic is learning Kanji. But if you know a game/homebrew/commercial that is like kid games and is a good start point in learning Japanese, its welcome too.

For the first post, I'm experimenting with these programs on DS:

Kana DS
http://kanads.blogspot.com/
download:http://forja.rediris.es/frs/?group_id=71

JDS
http://nds.zoelen.net/
(developer's blog http://blog.dev-scene.com/ashairey/category/project-jds/)
(main site seems to have problems with so many users and seem to be down in the mean time use http://gchack.free.fr/DS/homebrew/projectJDS/JDS.1.27.zip)

Pocket Kanji DS
http://ds.bigs.fr/pkds2_WIP.php3
download:http://big.s.free.fr/down/pkds_WIP_10_Mar_2007.rar

DSLEARNJ
http://ds.amvhell.com/
download:http://ds.amvhell.com/DSLearnJ_v0.5.zip

 

[Jarvik7]

I'd recommend Tadashii Nihongo kakitori-kun over any of these homebrew apps for learning the kana and kanji. Kakitori-kun will actually teach you proper stroke order and shape, rather than being little more than a flashcard app. It's also pretty easy to use for a beginner.

 

[test84]

i think the game you mentioned needs one to be able to read and understand basic japanese first, am i wright?

but with those homebrews, its not mandatory to understand japanese first.

plz correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[Jarvik7]

You don't need to know Japanese other than to get through the rather basic menus. After that its just practice. The game is meant for elementary school students from first to sixth year.

 

[test84]

i qoute a message from kikuchiyo in return of asking about a dictionary:

Hi,
what dictionary u suggest? i prefer DS/GBA stuff since i cant actually buy things from internets.
tia.

Mm, you want a DS dictionary you can't buy over the internet? Well, Kanji Sono mama
(http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-9g-77-1j-49-jp-15-kanji%2Bsono%2Bmaa%2Bmaa-70-198v.html)
It's really the best thing out there.

If you don't want to buy stuff, Breen's dictionary is great for words you can read (http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/wwwjdic.html

and jisho.org is good for kanji you can't (http://jisho.org/kanji/radicals/).

Other than that, Nelson's New Kanji dictionary is good, I have a copy, but I don't have it here in Japan with me so I don't use it now.

 

[Hit]

Is there software for learning Chinese
Traditional or Simplified

 

[test84]

not that I'm aware of.

 

[NightKry]

Where do you find this -> Tadashii Nihongo kakitori?

 

[Godot0102]

Is there software for learning Chinese
Traditional or Simplified

This is the only Chinese learning software i know of.

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-9g-77-...hi-70-198r.html

 

[kikuchiyo]

Where do you find this -> Tadashii Nihongo kakitori?

Japan? Anywhere you find a fullset of NDS roms?

Anyway, I use most of this stuff and there are some decent reviews on Nihongo Jouzu (the guy is a JET like me). That said unless you already know some Japanese most of the software isn't that helpful. Even the ones for elementary kids assumes you're pretty OK with the readings of the characters. Kanji sono maa maa is usable even if you don't know Japanese, though the UI is all in Japanese.

 

[somekool]

I used kanken DS for a while. and it is totally foreigner friendly.

come on guys... it ain't that hard, just try a little.

 

[kikuchiyo]

I used kanken DS for a while. and it is totally foreigner friendly.

come on guys... it ain't that hard, just try a little.

I'm OK with it, but I feel like a lot of the software is no help to someone with no Japanese.

 

[test84]

I used kanken DS for a while. and it is totally foreigner friendly.

come on guys... it ain't that hard, just try a little.

Would you mind write some lines about kanken DS ?

 

[kikuchiyo]

I used kanken DS for a while. and it is totally foreigner friendly.

come on guys... it ain't that hard, just try a little.


Would you mind write some lines about kanken DS ?

I've used Kanken. It's on my cart now. I'd really like to know if you find it "foreigner friendly," because I sure think it isn't.

 

[test84]

between these guys discussion, I would like to enter two blogs that work as this topic:


http://houhousihk.blogspot.com
http://naruhodojapan.blogspot.com/

 

[mrbass]

I keep a list of Japanese programs and I link to reviews of some of the Japanese learning software on the first blog. I definitely don't include all of them as some of the kanji recognition is painfully slow or sometimes nearly impossible to get it to recognize. Yes my wife is Japanese so she pretty much has the final say as to whether it's a good title or not.

Anyway my list of Japanese learning titles can be found http://mrbass.org/nintendoDS/japanesegames/ Currently reviewing hundreds of new titles as I've been away from the DS scene quite a few months playing some game. Now I'm back and sorthing thru the crud and the fantastic Japanese titles. Next few days I should have my Japanese list totally updated.

edit: ok finished updating Japanese titles back in the swing of things finally.